Distrust Until Verified

Understanding and Connecting with Gen-Z

I have been working through an internal conflict: pundits and the mainstream media want to label the Zoomer/Gen Z ¹ generation as lazy and uninformed in polical matters. Yet, as a parent of two twenty year olds, I am surrounded by young adults in their mid-twenties that seem to be politically astute and engaged.

In an attempt to obtain some main street perspective on this issue, I leveraged my summer interactions with this age group to conduct an informal poll of my own. I have interviewed just over a dozen zoomers asking three simple questions:

1. Where do you hear about news/current events.

2. How do you learn more about news/current events; and

3. What influencers do you trust.

BACKGROUND

As I was compiling my results, a poll was released by the Center for the American Experiment. One significent finding was that over seven in ten young people (18 to 34) closely follow both national and state politics. This report confirmed what I was hearing - they are paying attention.

Why it matters: 41 Million Votes is a lot. While Gen Z adults distrust America’s political institutions, they participate in many political activities at similar or higher rates than older Americans.

In his seminal book, The Fourth Turning is Here, Neil Howe provides an overview of those individuals born between 1982-2005.² Howe concludes that this Generation is the next “Hero” generation and will follow in the stead of the GI Generation/Greatest Generation. While his book does not distinguish the Zoomer/GenZ from the millennial generation, it does provide invaluable insight into the future of this group. While is is hard to summarize Howe’s exhaustive findings, here is an excerpt:

In their aspirations for the nation, they've staked out a political agenda that borders on the revolutionary. While all generations express rising discontent about America's current direction, Millennials [GenZ] are the most likely (on both the left and the right) to believe that the current regime is fundamentally broken and needs to be overhauled if not replaced. More than older generations, they think the solution may require granting extraordinary powers to one side and discarding precedents and procedures that impede the establishment of a new regime.

In short, this generation matters to the future of America.

Back to my summer adventure (Poll Results)

First Question - Where do you hear about Current Events:

These are few of the catch-phrases that jumped out:

• I “Ride the news.”

• I “follow the algorithm to see where it takes me.”

• I “hear then research.”

• I “follow the feed.”

• I “stumble and then google.”

• I “rely on brain rot.” (meaning entertainment feeds)

What Platforms?

Instagram = 8

Snap chat = 5

TicToc = 5

Podcast = 5

YouTube = 4

Newsfeed = 2

Facebook (local) = 2

X (twitter) = 1

Reddit = 1

All participants reported that they received their information in a rolling format. From social media, talking their friends and co-workers, or simply seeing a news clip in passing on television.

Second Question- How do you learn more about news/current events?

Google was an almost universal answer. This only scratched the surface, however, as they all wanted to truth-test what they were hearing. As one participant stated, “If it sounds like bullshit, I’ll go to safari.” Others said they will talk to peers on a topic before going into deep dive mode. One participant has a system to use multiple search engines to check a topic as they clearly do not “trust” the algorithms that try to tell them what to believe. This theme continued, “I hear then research. Usually with a you-tube deep dive.”

If an issue peaks their curiosity, they are very deliberate, persistent and patient in finding an answer. Peers, family, and their own personal BS detection process were paramount in finding some semblance of “true information.”

Third Question - What influencers do you trust.

One participant only “trusts” those experts that do not appear to have an agenda, “no face, no credentials, and not combative.” No one had a final authoritative figure or source that they trusted, although they surprisingly rely heavily upon person-to-person exchanges. Most were skeptical of the “depressing” on-line news that they are inundated with.

The other theme I noted was that their search for information was intertwined with their need to continue to receive entertainment value. There is not a lot of patience for pontification or long-winded diatribes. After all, this generation created the phrase, “OK Boomer” to tell the world, “stop the blah blah.”

They will listen, but not be talked down to.

MORE BACKGROUND

Before you lambast my unscientific polling and lack of valid findings, I respond that my objective was simply to get a feel for the engagement process this age group uses to obtain information about the world around them. There is plenty of recent reporting on this topic including:

• A May 2024 report from the American Press Institute entitled: Election insights: Understanding public preference for news coverage for 2024. One conclusion in this report: “…people are worried about the news containing misinformation and amplifying divisions. About half of adults say they are extremely or very concerned about news organizations reporting inaccurate information (53%). Almost as many worry news outlets will report unverified information (47%) or focus too much on divisions or controversies (48%).”

• Another report from the American Press Insistute entitled: Gen Z and Millennial use a variet of media to get news. As reported, “Forty percent of Gen Z and Millennials either text, share, comment, or talk about news with family and friends at least once per day while only 27% do the same with other social media accounts or news organizations’ websites at least once a day.”

• The Pew Research Institute recently released an inciteful and detailed report entitled: How Americans Get News on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram. Of interest for zoomers, their age group is much more likely to see breaking news on these core social media platforms.

• Another Pew Research Institute report found that Americans most often get local political news from friends and family, local news outlets, and social media. While this report does not provide a generational break-down, the survey results are as current as possible, being just released last month.

Takeaways:

To reach GenZ, there must be be a strong presence on these platforms. Social Media – the Local TV for the Next Generation? Don’t assume dismissiveness means that they are not listening.

Recognize that memes = news. All messaging must be quick and entertaining. A meme is definitely worth a couple hundred words. I have downloaded an app that allows me to create memes, like the one above:) While I’m pretty confident my memes may get some “OK X’r” eye-rolls, I am trying to take my own advice.

Millenials are looking for influencers - One the surprising takeaway from my overview was the fact that Gen Z voters do trust their friends and family almost universally. This conclusion was echoed by Howe, “A growing share of Milliennnial teens chose a parent rather than a celebrity as their role model.” Whatever generation you are in, you can have an impact. The Harris presidential campaign is trying to supplant personal influencers with social media “influencers”. They have formed a new PAC called voters of tomorrow and are trying to tap into the influencer world. Don’t be discouraged or intimidated to not engage, we can be influencers.

We must listen to this “hero” generation, as articulated by Howe, “Of all generations pushing society through the Crisis era, [Gen Z]Millennials will thereby become the most propulsive. Let elder Boomers conceive the visionary ends. Let midlife Xers furnish the practical means. But then let young-adult [Gen Z]Millenials, working together, furnish the critical mass that moves their entire society rapidly in one direction.”

They want a cause to follow, they just don’t know what that is yet. One group is trying to tap into their feeling by trying to “bringing back the joy” Yet, it is more likely that this generation is legitimately worried about their future. As reported in a recent poll of Minnesota’s youth, “Ninety percent of 18- to 34-year-olds in Minnesota said their generation is worse off economically compared to their parents!” If this anxiety continues they will likely trend towards mainstreet/common-sense causes.

CONCLUSION:

Gen Z has embodied a new twist to the old phrase “trust but verify.” Their version is, Distrust Until Verified. Having grown up in the world of economic and now political algorythms and psy-ops efforts, they are well-trained skeptics.

There is little trust outside of personal connections. They are extremely skeptical of big-tech controlling their feeds, and have adapted by creating their own individualized systems of truth-testing. They do not like to be “messaged/lectured” by authority figures. Yet, they will listen to their friends and family, but only on their terms.

Their social media entertainment is intertwined with how they get their news. They can easily catch current events between gaming, scrolling insta, or just riding the brain rot.

This generation will be saddled with tremendous responsibility in the future, so we need to bring them into the conversation early to help them verify what is real versus what makes them “feel good.” In the end, I am somewhat relieved that the world will not end if my GenX generation does not change the world. We just need to control the chaos until the GenZ/Millenial heros are ready to rumble.

1. There are volumes of articles on what constitutes a zoomer, but for purposes of this article, I am zeroing in on those in their twenties.

2. Thus, Howe is talking about those ages 19 through 42. Thus, twenty-year-olds are late Millenials under Howe’s framework. For a great summary of this book, please read here, “The Fourth Turning is Here gives us a view of the future landscape of the economic, political, social, and geopolitical pressures that will be building up over the next 5–10 years.”